Will: Follow the Light is a frustrating experience because the foundation for something memorable is clearly there. Beneath the repetitive puzzle design, uneven writing, and technical frustrations lies a genuinely interesting premise supported by immersive sailing mechanics and strong atmospheric audio. There are moments where the game briefly captures the emotional and cinematic adventure it wants to be, but it struggles to sustain that momentum for long before falling back into its more exhausting habits. For some players, those stronger moments may still be enough to carry the journey through to the end. For others, the game’s shortcomings will likely overshadow the experience long before Will reaches the light.

Mixtape is much like many coming-of-age stories you’ve probably heard before, but it tells it with so much warmth and creativity that I wanted more of it. As a game, it won’t surprise everyone, but its writing, music, and the dreamlike essence of its presentation make even predictable story beats meteor down to the surface with so much emotion that by the time the night was over, I felt like I was saying goodbye to old friends I’d only just met.

Kiln is built on a really fun idea, and for a good while, it’s a blast. Sculpting wearable pots and crashing into other players carries an infectious energy that’s hard not to enjoy with friends. Unfortunately, beneath all that molded clay is a multiplayer experience that still feels too thin, too repetitive, and too unfinished to hold attention for much longer than a few good nights of goofing around.

In terms of comfort in gameplay, holoVillage sits snugly where most of its peers rest. There’s no urgency to anything, allowing you to tackle its content at any pace you like. Unfortunately, it’s not very memorable, which is a quality that many of the genre’s greats have despite their inherent lack of climactic events, and it’s not very replayable either. It thankfully has a lot of content to devour, though, so it manages to salvage itself from obscurity.

Just as the moon covers the sun, with lost Carcosa awash with golden yellow, Saros eclipses all in its wake. Boasting a deep and synergistic core gameplay loop evoking Returnal, premium difficulty balancing options, emotionally-driven character writing, and the newest look cosmic horror has seen in decades, you wouldn’t be driven mad by playing this game; you’d be mad not to. Strange is the one who cannot fathom the greatness of Saros, but stranger still is lost Carcosa.

Invincible VS is a great tag fighter that utilizes the franchise’s identity to a remarkable level. Its top-notch presentation, noticeable competitive depth, and easy-to-grasp approachability make it a game worth playing for fans of the series and the genre alike. It still hasn’t quite reached its final form just yet, but it has the potential to become truly Invincible.

NTE is a game that feels like it’s constantly pulling you in different directions, yet somehow still holds together as a cohesive experience. It wants to be a gacha RPG, a city life simulator, a driving game, a management sandbox, and a narrative-driven anomaly hunter all at once. And instead of collapsing under that weight, it actually becomes a strong foundation to support how its systems interact and flow with each other. Of course, that ambition isn’t perfectly refined yet. Some systems still lean a bit too simple and story pacing can break immersion when level locks interrupt momentum. But even with those rough edges, the important part is that NTE never feels aimless. It commits to what it is trying to be—a multi-layered city RPG where everyday life and anomaly-driven chaos coexist.

Aphelion is easy to admire from a distance, but the closer you get, the emptier it feels. Its story relies on a relationship it never really builds, and the gameplay does little to keep things interesting in between the nice-looking moments. Aside from the performances and the immaculate soundtrack, the game is as distant and impossible to connect with as its namesake.

Lay of the Land is a decent game at its core, with almost all the basic sandbox game mechanics ready in one package—sprawling land, intricate building mechanics, decent crafting gameplay, and basic combat—but ultimately, it feels like an Early Access title that hasn’t had enough time to cook in the oven yet. It’s got a solid foundation of its basic gameplay mechanics, but it could definitely benefit from a lot more improvements in the long run.

Darkswitch is another case of a game that should have been released on early access being unleashed to the world at large as version 1.0. It feels thoroughly incomplete and untested thanks to its myriad of bugs, glitches, and questionable design choices. While there is a solid understanding of core mechanics buried here, it is unfortunately overshadowed by every other detail of the execution.

DRAGON QUEST Smash/Grow is a serviceable “survivors-style” RPG that looks and sounds just as you’d expect from the historic franchise. Its lackluster roguelite mechanics and lack of mechanical depth anchor its gameplay, ultimately making it a repetitive experience that’s easy to play and drop at a moment’s notice. However, players should be wary of the game’s abhorrent monetization scheme and progression walls, as these are not only worse than most gacha games but also a huge time sink that offers little satisfaction beyond repetition.

Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis is one of those games that thrives on contradiction. It’s simple but chaotic, forgiving yet overwhelming, structured yet constantly slipping into uncertainty. It doesn’t aim for mechanical perfection, nor does it try to be a pure rhythm skill test. Instead, it builds an experience where rhythm gameplay, narrative descent, and sensory overload all feed into each other. The forgiving mechanics dilute mastery for some players, and the audio design occasionally clashes with itself in ways that feel more noisy than intentional. These aren’t dealbreakers, but they do keep it from reaching that higher tier of refinement. Still, what it does well, it commits to fully, and that commitment is what makes it stick.

Despite my gripes and the moments of frustration during my first ten hours, I still find the game fun to play. I want to see how this map expands and how my settlements might look once these systems are finally humming in sync. [Early Access Impressions]

Damon and Baby is a bold step for Arc System Works and a solid action-adventure game with a warm, molten core thanks to its lovable cast. It asserts itself as a well-thought-out action title thanks to its emphasis on gunplay, enemy design, and strategy. The creators of Damon and Baby set out to prove that they could make a good action-adventure RPG, and sure enough, Damon and Baby shows that Arc System Works should keep diversifying their catalog.

Vampire Crawlers is a game that goes straight for the jugular and doesn’t let go until your schedule’s bled dry. Although it is indirect with its storytelling and isn’t as visually and aurally unique as I would’ve wanted, the gameplay hard carries by being innovative, exhilarating, and concerningly addictive. There’s no deckbuilder or dungeon crawler like this out there, at least not yet. No doubt every other dev will want a bite when Vampire Crawlers pioneers a new sub-genre as its predecessor did.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a weird, funny, and sometimes endearing life sim where the best moments come from pure randomness and your own imagination. It works best when you just let your Miis interact and watch the small stories they create on their own. The repetition and lack of online sharing are unfortunate, but it still manages to stay entertaining in short bursts thanks to how much personality it squeezes out of simple systems.

Tides of Tomorrow is a breath of fresh air. It’s a unique take on a post-apocalyptic future that conveys something deeper to the player through its player-driven narrative and the moral dilemmas you’ll have to face. More than that, the asynchronous multiplayer features and the variety of gameplay allow for a more entertaining interactive adventure. While it may have simplistic gameplay and binary decision trees, it’s definitely not an average adventure game; it's a remarkable experience that excels at what it does.

It’s easy to enjoy Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta for what it is: a fast and straightforward JRPG that still feels good to play even years later. However, its age shows in ways that are almost impossible to ignore. It’s a decent entry for newcomers curious about Ys, but returning players may find there’s just not enough to justify another trip through Celceta.

Rather than delivering a consistently smooth experience, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a game that thrives in its investigation systems, atmosphere, and environmental storytelling. At its best, the game makes you feel like you’re actively reconstructing events rather than simply progressing through them. However, the experience is held back by uneven pacing and occasional controller mishaps. The result is a strong but imperfect experience that resonates more as a standout concept than a fully polished execution.

OPUS: Prism Peak is simply art—from the gorgeous visuals to the profound story that will surely tug at the heartstrings to the emotional delivery of the character voices and the well-written cast. There’s little to dislike and a lot to love about the game, especially for those who appreciate a bit of fantasy in their relatable game narratives. Aside from the slow pacing sometimes and the need for a few gameplay improvements here and there, it stands proudly as a wonderful title, one that shares a tale that may hit close to home and that will stay with you even after the credits roll.

The Golden Age of Animation wasn’t called that for nothing, and MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is its modern gold standard following the likes of Cuphead and Bendy. Though relatively simple as a shooter and not up to par pacing-wise, this game has the production value and vision of yesteryear, and is a hand-made, hand-drawn testament to the art form of animation. Back it up with jazzy tunes and the best voice actors money can buy, and you’ve got another squash n’ stretch best-seller hot off the presses.

REPLACED is ultimately defined by how strongly it commits to its identity. Even when its gameplay structure leans repetitive or its combat pacing becomes overwhelming, the experience rarely loses its grip thanks to its exceptional visual direction and emotionally grounded storytelling. It doesn’t aim to reinvent its genre mechanically, but instead refines how a cinematic 2.5D world can feel to inhabit. And the stylish, atmospheric, and quietly human experience will stay with you well after it ends.

All Will Fall proves that being hyperbolic isn’t the play when it comes to showing off your game. Although it does not disappoint in some aspects, namely its faction mechanics, premise, narrative potential, and replayability, it drops the ball on the main attraction. Physics-based city-building is barely implemented and hardly restricting. The game’s title begged that all would fall, and fall short of its own promises, it did.

Pokemon Champions feels like a title that suddenly had to launch due to chasing a specific quarterly report. While otherwise nearly perfect as a platform, lacking a multitude of very important items on release makes the game feel fundamentally incomplete. The paywalled quality-of-life additions are also a major deterrent, especially for those who expected a way to engage with VGC without owning the mainline games. It's still a wonderful attempt at making competitive Pokemon more accessible, though, and is definitely something that'll only improve in time.

Even though People of Note doesn’t always find its rhythm, it’s still a decent turn-based RPG with a strong identity. The story and characters are likable and relatable, but the pacing rushes important beats and leaves some arcs feeling undercooked. It’s consistently enjoyable, sure, just not as deep or as bold as it could have been, especially in its gameplay mechanics.

Super Meat Boy 3D is much more than just a 3D retelling of a beloved title; it’s an exercise of mastery of platforming design, made in the image of a cube. Though far from accessible (despite its best efforts) and still somewhat similar to its predecessor, the inclusion of Dark World Levels and the design space opened by an entire new dimension of space gives it a platform to stand on. Best you load up on controllers, because Meat Boy’s back on the menu.

Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike proves that anything can become a hit roguelike if designed well enough. Not content to just slap some roguelike mechanics on an existing idea, Raccoin presents something uniquely addicting across a complex, layered gameplay progression that goes beyond comparative description. All that for much less than an arcade trip would cost. Forget breaking a dollar for the coin pusher, take all of mine for Raccoin.

The Weeping Swan is a great linear visual that offers a complete audiovisual and genre experience at a cheap price. And though it does have a set of eyebrow-raising endings, questionable character development, and a number of translation and technical issues on launch, you’ll still be hard-pressed to find a visual novel of its quality without spending more money. So, if you’re the type who values the journey more than the destination, you’ll find that this is a work worth your cash.

Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together is Cooking Simulator 1’s seemingly more put together younger sibling—less chaotic, more structured, but still entertaining to a point. However, it suffers from its plethora of bugs that range from mildly annoying to actually game-breaking and soft-locking, as well as a clunky UI, that dampen the experience. Nonetheless, it’s still a decent game—maybe just wait for a couple more patches.

Subliminal isn’t perfect, but it knows how to get under your skin. Some rough edges and unforgiving segments prevent it from being flawless, yet the story, atmosphere, and psychological tension pull you in and keep you thinking even after completing an ending. While it may not appeal to everyone, for those willing to dive into its eerie corridors and confront Caleb’s fracturing mind, it delivers a sharp, immediate sense of horror that keeps your heart racing while you’re playing.

If the base game wasn’t already one of the best soulslikes during its year, AI LIMIT’s DLC seeks to further its already jaw-dropping value proposition by being a completely free update to an already cheap title. What’s more, the content is enough to keep any soulslike enthusiast for a dozen-odd hours! Truly, it’s one of 2026’s most pleasant updates yet.

GRIME 2 is a direct improvement to all aspects of its predecessor and doubles down on what makes it great in the first place. Featuring a unique aesthetic, deep combat systems, and textbook Metroidvania exploration, this is a title worth playing for fans of the genre.

Despite being heralded as one of the more underrated games in the Mega Man franchise, Capcom did absolutely everything in its power to showcase the best version of the Star Force trilogy, and it shows. From added quality-of-life features, restored content, and adjusted gameplay mechanics from the old touch-screen only controls, on top of how great these games already were, they have delivered their arguably best remaster collection to date.

Life is Strange: Reunion delivers a carefully crafted send-off for longtime fans, full of emotional depth, nuanced character relationships, and a story that rewards attention to the smallest details. While the gameplay can feel limited and technical hiccups occasionally distract, the strength of the narrative, the exceptional audio, and the quiet, intimate moments carry the experience. It may not be flawless, but Reunion is a heartfelt farewell to Max and Chloe.

Star Savior is a veritable Frankenstein’s Monster of a gacha game, taking multiple elements of previous successful mobile titles and stitching them together as a product that somehow works. But although it has impeccable visual appeal, insane replayability, and an amazing cast of characters, it’s heavily compromised by its progression system that seems more interested in charging you for the experience than letting you have a great time.

Warframe's Switch 2 port looks and runs just as Digital Extremes has promised. The visual upgrades, fast load times, and overall stability showcase the hardware's strengths and make it one of the best ports for the long-standing MMO looter-shooter hybrid. Not to mention its longevity. While there are some issues with the Joy-Con 2's mouse mode and some bugs, it's still a port worth trying, especially since it's free.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is already a great game, and its Switch 2 upgrade only makes it better with cleaner visuals. Meetup in Bellabel Park, though, feels a lot less essential. Some content, like the challenge stages in Toad Brigade Training Camp, has fun ideas, but the bulk of the expansion is short-lived minigames and remixes of previous levels. It’s still a nice excuse to replay the game, but most of what’s new doesn’t stick for long or feels like it truly adds much

Screamer is a colorful, chaotic, fast, and fun arcade racer that manages to pair high-octane gameplay with a surprisingly robust narrative. It’s not perfect—progression is limited, and certain campaign restrictions can be frustrating—but the unique mechanics, engaging characters, and fast-paced races make it a standout in its genre. For fans of classic arcade racing, it’s a title that hits almost all the right notes.

Timberborn is a good, almost natural, marriage of two genres that couldn’t quite surpass its own issues to become something greater than the sum of its parts. Late mechanics implementation, lower replayability than expected for a 1.0, and unhelpful tutorials all drag down an otherwise amazing game. There’s much holding it back and much holding it up, amounting to a great, but imperfect title overall.

Ariana and the Elder Codex doesn’t do anything absurdly new, but it understands what makes this kind of game work and sticks to it. The combat and build variety carry the experience, even when the story becomes predictable and the enemy design feels thin. It’s a solid and well-made action-platformer that’s easy to enjoy, as long as you know what you’re getting into.

Monster Hunter Stories 3 feels like a prematurely released game that could have been truly great. It’s got everything from the series’ signature monster collecting mechanics, the gritty turn-based combat, and much, much better audiovisuals than its predecessors. Unfortunately, beyond the bloat of grinding for stronger monsters and watching filler, there’s not much content to actually engage in.

Death Stranding 2's PC port showcases the power of the Decima Engine once more, proving its superiority in both optimization and presentation. "To the wilder" difficulty also adds the much-needed challenge that it sorely needed, making it the definitive version of the game.

Etrange Overlord is a classic case of a game hiding its true value between its surface level qualities. It has the developers’ trademark humor and audiovisuals, coupled with some very basic controls. It’s dragged down by some very rough camerawork and first impressions, though. But beyond that, it offers an incredibly diverse experience and a memorable story; easily another gem for Nippon Ichi’s already star-studded lineup.

Crimson Desert is a sprawling adventure across a vast and living world that rewards every hour you put into it. The core gameplay evolves with your progress, introducing upgradable skills and increasingly demanding boss fights, with plenty of content to discover. While the narrative initially lacks direction and its threads can feel disconnected, this never outweighs the game’s many strengths. Crimson Desert is a slow burn that rewards time, patience, and curiosity.

Ghost of Yotei: Legends is a must-try DLC for owners of the base game, as they’re quite literally just improving on what was offered before. With top-notch presentation and the same engaging gameplay loop, it’s one of the more underrated multiplayer experiences out right now.

The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince succeeds as a visually appealing and emotionally resonant fable, but it often struggles to function as an engaging video game. The storybook presentation is memorable, but the shallow puzzles and clunky platforming make the actual journey underwhelming. It is a beautiful piece of storytelling that unfortunately lacks the polish to match its artistic ambition.

Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime delivers a fun, whimsical adventure with a charming blend of quirky comedy alongside relatable heartfelt moments. It also comes packaged with cute visuals, a unique music score, and engaging gameplay, wrapped up in a lovely cozy game that’s sure to entertain. There are a few minor issues here and there, but they don’t sour the gameplay experience to a fault.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is bursting at the seams with how much gameplay depth, artisanal vision, and genre innovation it manages to pack within its very few open-world levels. Had it the scope to contain its quality, it would’ve been the best horde-shooter for everyone out there, though it still may be for some. It’s simply too awesome for its own good.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is, if I dare say, the definitive edition of the series’ second entry. Stunning visuals, haunting audio, engaging gameplay mechanics, storyline—it took everything from the original and immensely improved upon it to deliver both a chilling and heart-wrenching experience. Whether you’re completely new to the series or a longtime fan, the Crimson Butterfly Remake is not one to miss.

Homura Hime is a slick hack-and-slash and bullet hell hybrid that naturally forces you to think in both mindsets at once. It’s a game that, beneath its vibrant designs and bright color palette, lies a surprisingly dark story filled with genuine shock value. It may not reinvent the genre, but it executes its ideas with enough confidence to leave a lasting impression.

Warning: Pokémon Pokopia is very addictive. Although it suffers from one-note dialogue and gates your progress in real-world hours, its clever systems and gameplay loop make it one of—if not the—best spinoffs in Nintendo’s arsenal. Even dozens of hours later, I’m still surprised that somewhere between tending gardens and chasing Pokémon traces, I found rebuilding the world to be just as satisfying as conquering the Pokémon League.

Resident Evil Village remains one of the more experimental entries in the Resident Evil franchise, and the experience translates well to the Switch 2. With stable performance in docked mode, and only minor stutters in handheld, this port is a great way to experience Village's defining gameplay. Even if the narrative isn't the strongest in the series, the solid technical performance for the game's blend of action and horror, makes this port an easy recommendation for players wanting to experience—or revisit—Ethan Winters on Switch 2.

If I can only give you one reason to buy this game, it would have to be its musical score. Each scene is elevated by a masterful orchestral soundtrack that transforms puzzles, exploration, and emotional beats into something cinematic and unforgettable. While the core gameplay of Lana and Mui navigating puzzles remains familiar, Planet of Lana 2 shines in how it builds and evolves the storytelling.

More than twenty years later, the Switch re-release of Pokémon FireRed arrives keeping everything intact, even its more frustrating quirks. It doesn’t have the smoother systems and quality-of-life updates found in newer entries, and I wish there were more tweaks to its gameplay and presentation on modern hardware, but the journey through the routes of Kanto remains as structurally sound and addictive as it was when we were playing it on our 32-bit handhelds.

Scott Pilgrim EX is a great game built for a very specific crowd. Its deliberate arcade-style beat ’em up design limits broad appeal, but fans of the genre, art style, or IP will find little to complain about. It’s cheesy, wacky, unapologetically retro, and simply EXceptional.

NeverGrave: The Witch and the Curse has highs and lows of its own, but Dead Cells is unmistakably in its DNA. From the parasitic true protagonist inhabiting bodies to the dramatic door slams after each clear, fans of one will recognize the appeal of the other. Still, NeverGrave falls short in audio and storytelling, even as its original ideas help keep things feeling fresh, but a mere copy, it is not.

Effectively a demo for 13 dollars, Welcome to Doll Town is a short novelty where the humor barely has time to land. There’s simply not enough here to justify the price, but it commits to its bit well enough to be worth considering on a deep sale.

Tales of Berseria Remake is a welcome release to update the greatest tale of the Tales series to the modern settings. However, unlike the previous Tales remakes, the additions are empty beyond the addition of the DLCs. Still, it's worth purchasing if only to get a higher quality version of one of the greatest Tales titles of the series.

Requiem is a triumph of modern Resident Evil, with alternating perspectives between Grace and Leon keeping the pacing dynamic, puzzles that challenge your wits, and exploration that rewards careful observation. The gameplay loop feels both familiar and refined, all while weaving decades of Resident Evil lore into a coherent, satisfying narrative. With its depth, content, and meticulously crafted gameplay, Requiem earns a confident recommendation as a must-buy for fans and newcomers alike.

NORSE: Oath of Blood is a decent Viking-themed turn-based title whose strengths lie in its well-told narrative, gripping voice acting, and interesting characters and dialogue. However, it’s hindered by its plethora of visual and in-game bugs, as well as several unpolished odds and ends here and there that only add to a frustrating experience.

Sons of Sparta feels unnecessary, a prequel few expected and one that adds little to the wider God of War saga. Still, on its own merits it’s polished and impressive, with strong mechanics, striking visuals, and standout voice work. More indulgent side story than essential chapter, but a solid one nonetheless.

If you're looking for a cheap action roguelike with outstanding build variety, look no further than SealChain: Call of Blood. While its audio is forgettable and its mob behavior can border on exasperating, when it comes to player expression, it stands comfortably above much of its competition.

Space may be the final frontier, but this game clearly needed one more trip through QA. The combat rarely clicks, and the voice acting and animation struggle to keep pace, yet the resource management is sublime and the UI design genuinely excellent. Focus on its strategic and narrative strengths, and this Trekkie adventure might still live long and prosper in memory.

Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse delivers a much more intimate mystery by focusing on personal emotional arcs and a cast of characters that feel really well-developed. The experience, though, is occasionally weighed down by a lot of expository lore dumps. Nevertheless, it is a clever mystery game that manages to stay interesting until the very end.

Cyanide Studios created a third game that makes stealth feel even more rewarding in Styx: Blades of Greed. While the nine-year wait doesn’t make it seem much bigger at a glance, the new open-world design places greater emphasis on traversal and exploration, for better or worse.

There’s some charm here in Calamity Angels: Special Delivery, and I can’t deny that I liked spending time with the cast, but its gameplay keeps getting in its own way. The game has a fun concept and a strong personality, yet the random combat and repetitive delivery loop make it harder to enjoy than it should be. It’s not terrible, but it never rises above being a mildly entertaining JRPG that feels stuck so down below its potential.

Tokyo Scramble feels like a title scrambled together just to get a release up on the Nintendo Switch 2. Despite having some good ideas here and there, it’s overall very unpolished, messy, and full of wrinkles that shouldn’t have even left the QA stage.

High on Life 2 is Squanch Games’ second chaotic ride, and it’s as wild as it is messy. Stellar voice acting and striking visuals shine, but middling gameplay and rough optimization hold it back. It’s a mixed bag of highs and lows, and if that chaos appeals to you, we won’t judge, though your guns might.

Mario Tennis Fever follows the classic Super Mario Sports formula, emphasizing simplicity and fun. While it retains the core gameplay identity, it suffers from several issues, including a lackluster Adventure Mode, hit-and-miss supplementary game modes, and a new, gimmicky mechanic in Fever. It’s a good party game, but it doesn’t have enough to make it worth the price or the time.

It’s hard not to feel conflicted about Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, because while it plays smoother and looks cleaner, many of its story changes and cut content weaken what originally worked. The remake still has solid moments, especially with Dad Kiryu, but combat, pacing, and Dark Ties often feel shallow or stretched out. It’s not a bad time, just a messy step forward that doesn’t fully honor what makes the Yakuza series work.

While not a true successor, Mewgenics carries The Binding of Isaac’s roguelike spirit through its sharp cat-based tactics, dense content, and clear devotion to McMillen’s ideal vision. It’s pricey, brutally slow, and unapologetically harsh, but its addictive music, bizarre systems, and deep strategy make it hard to put down. Not quite purrfect, but very close.

Crisol: Theater of Idols is an ambitious game with moments of creativity and style, but its execution consistently holds it back. The story fails to engage, combat is frustrating, and the character design often breaks immersion. At the same time, it offers one of the more compelling first-person horror settings in recent years, and its environmental and thematic work are impressive. It’s a game with strong ideas that never fully coalesce into a consistently satisfying experience, making it interesting but flawed overall.

REANIMAL is a game that takes everything Tarsier perfected in Little Nightmares and sharpens it into something darker, more relentless, and emotionally punishing. It rewards patience, observation, and careful thinking, but it doesn’t coddle you—the world is cruel and the horror lingers long after each encounter. It’s a more ruthless evolution of the formula, delivering a tense, interconnected journey that stands on its own while building on Tarsier’s legacy.

Romeo is a Dead Man brings everything you expect from the Suda51 style—and I mean everything, especially when it comes to its visuals. Though it suffers from technical issues and a simple gameplay loop, the unpredictable narrative, paired with its eye-catching visuals and strong audio design, makes it a memorable experience.

Square Enix certainly wanted to create a defining title for the franchise, as the streamlined narrative and gameplay additions make it easy for anyone to get into. However, the price of convenience is a little too steep; cut islands, hand-holdy exploration, and a lack of challenge make this reimagining a diminished experience compared to its older versions.

It’s hard to make magic feel monotonous, but YAPYAP manages it. Despite a strong, well-executed premise, issues with map variety, economy balance, and progression hold it back from becoming the next big friendslop hit.

MY HERO ACADEMIA: All’s Justice is a solid, if flawed, celebration of everything that made the franchise a pop culture staple. It isn’t going to win over anyone who isn’t already a fan of the series, but the game leverages the hype of the Final War arc to cover up its repetitive combat and uneven story presentation. Regardless, the sheer size of the roster and the authenticity of the voice acting make it hard to totally dislike. It captures the spirit of the series well enough, even if it doesn’t quite go Plus Ultra.

ANTHEM#9 feels like a small-scale game overloaded with too many good ideas at once. It’s undeniably fun to play, and its audiovisual presentation is impressively polished—but why is there a turn timer or an oversized UI that often fills more than half the screen with text? Thankfully, though, everything else carries it to greatness.

Aces of Thunder is frustrating and forgettable. Beyond detailed aircraft and decent visuals, there’s little to hold your attention. Clunky controls, shallow campaign progression, unreliable multiplayer, and recurring technical issues make it a mediocre experience at best.

If there's a company that knows its way around action RPGs, it's Team NINJA. But with Nioh 3, it feels as if they have finally perfected their vision. This is the culmination of their endless quest to create the ultimate action RPG experience centered around a satisfying flow state, and they've achieved it in the bloodiest and most glorious way possible.

Across dozens of climbs and bivouac breaks, Cairn proves itself to be a game that fully commits to its vision. The difficulty can be punishing, and the physics can act up, but the hardship is so closely tied to Aava’s story and the game’s themes that it never feels excessive. It’s an experience that will stay with me long after my personal descent from it, and while the mountain is indifferent, the climb itself is unforgettable.

Even though an 8/10 may sound like a solid score, that's actually lower than it could have gotten if it had been polished even further. Sure, the gameplay is nice and the story's very compelling; but with the backdrop of a horribly dumb enemy AI and its terrible performance issues, Code Vein 2 on release is at its worst.

Arknights: Endfield has the makings to be one of 2026's standout titles—a decent story that has potential, multiple engaging gameplay mechanics, a vibrant world to explore, and solid audio and visual design. Aside from the gacha system that not many people may be used to, it deserves high marks everywhere else. Its future is bright, and they can only keep going up from here.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on the Switch 2 is a strong port that knows its limits and mostly stays within them. It doesn’t reach the visual or performance highs of the PS5 version, but it also avoids the worst compromises seen on older hardware. The experience remains intact, and portability changes how easy it is to live with its flaws. Fingers crossed that FF7 Rebirth makes its way to the platform soon.

Cult of the Lamb’s latest expansion is a welcome return, adding new mechanics, biomes, and hours of play that enrich the world. The music, visuals, and added lore bring the Lamb’s ascension to a satisfying close. A slow start aside, it’s a rewarding expansion for both veterans and newcomers.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is as good as it always has been. The Switch 2 port still earns its praise, of course, but not because of any standout next-gen additions or mechanics. Returning players should expect largely the same experience as their first playthrough, while newcomers will find a charming and thoroughly enjoyable customization craze waiting for them.

2XKO is, without a doubt, the best fighting game on the market right now. Not only does it look amazing with its cel-shaded animated style, but it also has that tag-fighter satisfaction that’s been sorely missed throughout the absence of the subgenre. And the best part about it all is that the game is completely free to play and enjoy, with everything you need to learn included.

Essentially a free-to-play Animal Crossing-Palia-Infinity Nikki cross, Heartopia is a free-to-play life-simulation game that’s simple, accessible, and cozy for all. It offers casual, engaging gameplay and bright audio-visual presentation, bringing together familiar cozy game elements for a fun experience. While it does have optimization problems from being a direct mobile port that can deter from the experience, it’s still worth its content.

Finding its footing among the giants of the genre, MIO: Memories in Orbit manages to be a great piece of interactive art. Its somewhat floaty controls might take a moment to get used to, but any awkwardness quickly fades in the face of the game’s many strengths. The hand-painted Vessel is gorgeous; its narrative, haunting. Even with a few quirks, it’s impossible not to get swept up in its orbit.

UNFOLLOW is a competent entry in the BrokenLore franchise, delivering solid storytelling and atmosphere while struggling with gameplay and cohesion. It offers moments of genuine psychological complexity, but predictable mechanics, overused jump scares, and underdeveloped plot threads prevent it from being truly memorable. Fans of the series will find enough to engage with, but those looking for groundbreaking horror may find it uninspired.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins Visions of Four Heroes is a surprisingly well-done DLC pack that not only succeeds on a narrative level but also enhances its core gameplay. The additional routes exploring the would-be heroes are well-executed, if not a little short, and the new weapons and gameplay modes add even more enjoyment to the already addictive Musou combat.

Trails Beyond the Horizon ultimately feels like the course correction the series needed after the detour that was Daybreak 2. It successfully balances its massive cast and deep lore to deliver the major payoffs that fans have been anticipating since long before the Calvard arc even began. The pacing can be glacially slow as it builds toward these reveals, but the way it weaves years of plot threads together is incredibly satisfying and fills me with excitement for what lies beyond this horizon.

Dragon Traveler is another casual waifu collector game that delivers what it promises. It's decent, and that's okay. It's just painfully average for what it is. There are a few annoying issues, but overall, it's a good time-waster if you have the luxury of that.

Kotama and Academy Citadel stands out as a cheerful counterpoint to a genre that’s lately leaned hard into gloom and grit. It’s also my latest addiction; a consistently enjoyable trip whether you’re experiencing it at its highest highs or pushing through its most frustrating lows. As a bonus, it’s also shockingly affordable for just how much visual flair it brings to the table.

Quarantine Zone: The Last Check struggles with technical issues and inconsistent challenges. Glitches, visual drops, and clunky mechanics pull you out of the experience, and the game doesn’t always push you to adapt or think in surprising ways. Though it shines in giving players a real sense of authority, a reactive world, and satisfying systems that reward careful observation and decision-making, its current state is difficult to recommend. However, fans of puzzle-management simulations who enjoy moral ambiguity and quiet tension can still have a compelling and worthwhile experience despite its rough edges.

Pathologic 3 is a must-play for anyone invested in the franchise or intrigued by narrative-driven, mechanically rich experiences. Its strongest moments come from how seamlessly story and gameplay reinforce one another, creating a game that feels deliberate and purposeful in every system. While some roughness and minor hitches persist, the game’s focus, depth, and audacity make it an essential entry in the series.

As the self-proclaimed torchbearer of one of the industry’s cult classics, Code Violet fails to meet the standards or even do a decent job of representing the action horror survival genre. Its weak gunplay, baffling art direction, rough animations, and even more confusing plot serve as a reminder that maybe some things should be left untouched.

Viewed as a companion piece to the mainline entries, Utawarerumono ZAN can be a worthwhile pickup for visual novel fans with a taste for action games. Outside of that narrow context, though, its price is hard to justify.